Ellen DeGeneres will host the 86th Academy Awards, which will pay tribute to movie heroes, organisers announced today.

The comedian and chat show host is set to give the star-studded crowd a belly full of laughs, at the prestigious award ceremony on March 2, which producers said will honour big-screen real-life heroes, super heroes, popular heroes and animated heroes, both past and present.

"We wanted to unify the show with an entertaining and emotional theme,” said the show's producers, Craig Zadan and Craig Meron.

"Of course, there will be no shortage of comedy with Ellen DeGeneres as our host. There may also be a few musical surprises along the way."

According to Deadline.com the awards ceremony, which takes place in Beverly Hills, will also honour a series of film-makers who have helped to bring iconic movie heroes to life.

Ellen DeGeneres will host the 86th Academy Awards ( FayesVision/WENN)

The producers explained: "By celebrating the gamut of heroes who have enriched our movie-going experience, we hope to create an evening of fun and joy. And that includes the filmmakers and actors who take risks and stimulate us with provocative subjects and daring characters. They are all heroes in the cinematic landscape.”

To coincide with the theme, the Academy will also present “The Oscars Celebrates Movie Heroes,” as an exhibition in the Grand Lobby Gallery of its Beverly Hills headquarters in the weeks prior to the ceremony.

Movie buffs will be in for a treat, as still photographs and posters from 70 titles spanning nine decades, will be on display from January 17 through to March 5, in addition to video montages featuring excerpts from classic and contemporary films.

The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 16, with '12 Years A Slave', 'American Hustle' and 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' tipped by some bookmakers to gain the most nods.